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Scottish police in 45-minute standoff with toy tiger

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(UPI) Police in Scotland said officers responding to a report of a tiger in a cow shed engaged in a 45-minute standoff with what turned out to be a stuffed toy.

Officials with the North East Police Division shared a story with Facebook page UK Cop Humor detailing the Saturday night call-out to a farm in the northeast part of Scotland.

"The farmer has gone out to check his cows and discovered a tiger in the cow shed!" the post said. Photographs of said tiger were sent to the control room and an expert sergeant confirmed it was definitely real.

Multiple units responded to the farm and engaged the tiger in a stand-off from a safe distance.

"After some time a rather sheepish sounding sergeant comes on the air and declares that it was indeed a stuffed toy!" the Facebook post said.

Inspector George Cordiner of the North East Police Division's Peterhead station confirmed in a Twitter post the account of events at a farm in the Hatton area.

"Unusual as the call may have seemed, any call reporting a potential danger to the public has to be taken seriously and efforts were made to verify the sighting as soon as possible," he wrote. This included starting to make contact with the nearest wildlife park to make sure they did not have an escapee.

He said the standoff lasted for about 45 minutes.

"We appreciate that it was a false call made with genuine good intent," he said.

The owner of the farm, Bruce Grubb, said he discovered what he had believed to be a living tiger while checking on his cattle. He said the discovery came in the midst of a housewarming party at the farm.